Railway car



Dec. 22, 1931. Q S. JOHNSTON 1,837,969

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, inventionrrelatesto means OI prevent;-

' the sheathingV of the car `for the purposefof lairiilar OFFICE CHARLES s JOHNSTON, OF-GLENOOEILLINOIS, AssIeNon To UNION METAL riionUcTs COMPANY, or CHICAGO, 1LL1No1s, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE RAILWAY OAR Application led October 27,1927. Serial No. 229,169.'

ing or retarding the ,corrosion of certain of the walls of steel railway cars exposed to the chemical action of fumes, moisture and other deleterious agencies.

That

supporting frame of a railway car is invariarea immediately adjacent the joint, developing thin scale which finally becomes loosened and falls away, revealing another layer of oxide beneath and which in turn is exposed to the action of the moisture. v Repeated scaling down of the plates results ultimately in the failure of the joint-adjacent area of the wall sheathing.

Such rapid oxidation and reduction ofthe wall sheathing in the area adj acent the joint a't the floor portionof the car and the relativ ly slow destruction oi the wall sheathing above the aii'ected region, necessitates either the removal of theseveral panels making up cutting away the disintegrated lower portions thereof to permit the splicingtof new plates to replace thedamaged sectlons, or the cut- Y ting away of theworn sections from the remainder of the respective panel sections with-'e out removing the panels from the car.

The methods noted present two Objectionable alternatives, the one involving the .virtual dismantlellnent of the car with its attendant prohibitivecost and the other the impairment v y non; and

of the superstructure framing' member; in the lirst case'the rivets or gwelds holding the sheathing plates tothe posts and the posts to the jtop and bottom I.framing-longitudinals must be out away to permit ,removal ofthe sheathing'panels, and in the latter clasetheuse of the cutting torch will seriously disturb the integrity of the posts during the cutting operation, Vsincel the heat of thercut-l ting frame if not the flame itself, will penetrate) the posts .at thev splicefposition, with resultant weakening ofthe posts, necessitating replacement or repair.'

portion of the metal wall sheathing adjacent the j oii-it/ between the wall plates and wall of the car;

It is therefore the principal object of the invention to overcome the objectlons above outlined by forming the wall portion in the area adjacentl the ioor of the car of metal plate resistantito oxidation and tojinitially splioe said'plate to wall sheathing made up of plates lacking such property or affording relatively lower resistance to corrosion, to A the end that the necessity for the renewal or repair of the wall plates mayy begminimized.

'The foregoing and other objects are at-` tained by the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in 'which Fig. lisa sideelevational view of a metal sheathed railway box car embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is afvertical section, taken at the longitudinal centralline of thel 'car Vshowing Y the application of the invention -to' an end Fig. 3 is a transverse verticalsection taken l at center ofthe body bolster of the car on vline 3 3 of Fig. l,` looking in the direction indicated by the arrows, showing a'preferred 7 embodiment of the invention as applied to a box car;

Fig. 4f

enlarged scale;

I Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view transversely of a car show-ing a modified construction em.

bodying the invention;

Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the' application of the invention to a box car having i' `12 and sills 13;v and 14 indicates similar sheathing forming the end wall of the car and secured to end posts 15 connecting the is a similar though fragmentary view ofthe splice plate arrangement on an end plates (not shown) and end sills 16, shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

In the practice of the invention it is contemplated that the side and/or end wall sheathing 10 and 14, respectively, will be made up of metal panels extending from the top plates to within a predetermined point above the Hoor 17 of the car, leavingan opening extending from the lower margin of the respective sheathing plates to the side or end sills 13l and `16 and from post to 'post at the sides and ends of the car, the openings thus formed being closed in a manner presently to be described. The sheathing plates 1() and 14 terminate at a point above which the liberated corrosive acids present in or generated by the lading carriedin the car are not expected to oseriously curtail the useful life of the plates; thus positioned the plates are practically free from direct attack by the chemical action of water and acid concentrations j, in the joints adjacentthe floor line and would ,last indefinitely. Such plates may be made of a metal aordinglittle or no resistance to corrosion, depending upon the type of car and the predominant character of the lading to be carried.

' The respective lower margins 18 of the Side and lend wall plates 10 and K14 and contiguous areas of the plates are protected from the ravages of sulphuric acid from coal or acid waters from other lading, by means of intervening foot plates 2O of metal having a relatively high resistance tov oxidation, or coated with metalpossessing that property; these platesv extend downwardly fromV the y lower margins 18 of side and end wall plates plates.

Vtov provide a watershed anda 10 and 14 to the respective side and end sills 13 and 16, and provide a wall area capable of preventing or retarding the corrosive action of moisture in the joint 9 between said plates and sills. As shown in Fig. 1, the incorrodible or ,slow corroding foot plates 20 are arranged in lengths greater than the distance between adjacent posts and preferably Iex.- tending continuously betwen the corner posts 19 and door posts at lthe car sides and between said corner osts at the ends of the car to facilitate assemhling and to provide a unitary gusset connection betweenl the posts and respective side and end sills and sheathing rlhe foot plates 20 at their upper edges overlap the lower margins 18 on the inner sidesrof the respectively adjacent wall sheathing pla't'eslQ and 14 and are preferably offset as indicated at\21 in Fi 3, 4, and 6, y shsouter 3196. at the joint 22,5y at once preventing the entrance of water to the car interior and subtantially reinforcing the car wall at the iioor lne.

As indicated in Fig. 6 of the drawings the invention may be adapted to house cars havmg exterior framing members 25 secured to outer faces of wall sheathing plates 10 and foot plates 20, the iush joint 22 permitting the use of framing members without the necessity of osetting them at that point. The framing members 25 are shown in this iigure as commercial rolled Z-bars connected by rivets `2.3 to wall sheathing plates 10, foot plates 20, and adjacent side sill 13; to insure proper. bearing for the lower ends of said framing members below the respective foot plates 20, filler plates 24 are inserted between the several framing members 25 and the side sill 13 and held by the rivets 23. In the em lbodiment shown the wall plates 10 are secured to the framing-members 25 by vertical flanges 26 projecting outwardly from the base of the 80 respective plates and lapping the webs 27 of the members, though obviously the wall plates 10 may overlap each other in the plane of the wall as indicated in Fig. 1 with the framing members 25 secured to the outer faces of the 85 respectively adjacent plates. As in the case of the other embodiments the foot plates 20 lap under the relatively higher wall plates 10 to provide the watershed hereinbefore rel ferred to, and are secured thereto by welding or riveting, as desired, and to the side sill 13 as shown in this figure. Although'the invention has been described with particular reference to box and other house cars, its usefulness is indicated ir open k,top cars of the fixed bottom gondola type and hopper or other drop bottom cars. Such cars"`are peculiarly susceptible to corrosion because"-o\f the exposure of the cars and their l/lading tot-he elements; the effect of moisture loo and air upon\the lading in producing acid waters and thepressure and erosive actionof ore, rock, coal, etc., comprising a large proportion of the lading carried in such cars,

are contributing factors in causing the rapid ics'.

disintegration of the bottom loa-d confining plates. Because of the unfavorable position of the plates most exposed to the corrosive action of agencies operatingv below the surface of the lading and near the bottom of the 1m car, such plates soon become worn and must frequently be replaced'before the plates in- In-'ftle/ embodiment illustrated in Figs. 7

and 8, a general service or drop bottom gondola car is shown equipped in accordance with the invention; the load deflecting'plates 125 30 and diaphragm cover plates 31, are"i made from metal either immune or highly resist'- ant to corrosion, and the upper wall plates 32 of metal having relatively little or no resistance to oxidation. This distrilition 13 of plates having relatively dilerent characlteristics, coupled with the initial splicing of such plates, materially reducesthe cost of maintenance, since the necessityfor replacement of the plates will have been materially reduced. v i

The upper wall portions ofthe house and open top steel cars above noted may be of standard open-hearth process steel containing carbon not exceeding 0.18 percent, sulphur and phosphorous not in excess of 0.06-

percent, respectively, and manganese not over 0.80 percent. Steel 'of this composition offers a relatively low resistance to corrosion. For the foot plates 20 of house and ixed bottom gondola cars, and shedding and cover plate portions and 31, respectively of the drop bottom open top cars, steel plates of relatively high resistance to corrosion may be madeby the addition of about 0.20 percent copper to the composition stated for the upper wall plates.

The character of some of the lading carried may warrant the use of non-corrodible or slow corroding plates in the upper wall areas of the cars, but whatever the resistance value of the metal in such upper wall plates, the lower wallareas are to be formed of met'- al yaffording a relatively higher resistance to corrosion, thereby insuring a longer life to l the plates making up the lower wall portions of the car.'

Within the scope of the invention, the use ofimetal plates is contemplated upon, which has `been sprayed,l or deposited electrolytically, a thin coating of another metal to pro- 'tect' the underlying plate from acid corrosion. Should plates of very high resistance to corrosion be desired, such plates ofchrome,

vanadium, or other alloy steels having the relatively different characteristics hereinabove outlined may be substituted.

It should be noted that the underframe 8, including the side and end sill framing members 13 and 16 of the house car and the longitudinal member ."3 of the open top car shown in Figs. 7I and 8 ofthe drawings, because of` the `heavier nature of Y the materials entering into its construction at 'respective joints 9,

may be of metalhaving corrosion resisting Y values not exceeding that required for the upper wall plates 10,14, and '32, and relatively lower than contiguous plates `20 and 30 respectively of the house and open top cars. What l claim iszv1. A railway lcarhaving an underframe,

and side and end wall. plates arranged in conf nected upper and lower series, said upper series of plates having a lower `resistance to oxidation than the lower' series.

2. A railway carhavingan ilnderframe, and side and end Wall plates arranged in connected upper and lower series aboveithe underframe, the surfacesof said upper secontiguous edges of the other wall ries of plates having a lower resistance to i corrosion than the other series and the underframe.

5. A railway car having an underframe, and side and end walls comprising an upper series of plates having a relatively low resistance to corrosion, and a lower series of plates connecting said upper wall portions and the underframe and providing a relatively high resistance to oxidation.

6. A railway car having side and end walls and an underframe, the underframe and contiguous wall areas havingI relatively different no resistance to corrosion.

7. A railway car having upper framing members and an underframe, and side and end wall plates connecting said underframe and framing members, said wall plates having areas of'relatively high resistance to corrosion adjacent said underframe.

v8. -A railway car having an undeiframe, a series of side and end wall plates terminating with thei'rlower margins at a predetermined point above the underframe, and wall plates of metaly having a relatively high resistance to oxidation connectin said first mentioned: wall plates and under rame.

9. A railway carhaving upper framing members and an underframe, a series of wall plates of metal having a relatively high resistance to oxidation secured to the underframe-and framing, and an overlapping series ofl plates lacking such properties spliced and incorr'fdible or slow corroding reinforcing gusset plates secured to the underframe and securedalong their upper margins to plates to provide a weather-proof joint.

. 11. In a railway car having an underframe and a series of wall sheathing plates having their lower marginal edges spaced above the underframe, and a plurality of foot-plates connecting said underframe and sheathing plates and secured along their upper-edges to contiguous edges of a plurality of the sheathing plates, said foot-plates providing nating at predetermined points above -the necting a plurality of said sheathing plates and underframe and providlng areas having underframe, and gusset Iplates severally con# a higher resistance to corrosion than the other plates and said underframe.

13. A, railway car having an underframe,`

dan upper series of wall plates with their lower edges terminating atl predeterrnmed points above the iioor line of the Lcar, and a lower series vof plates having a lrelatively high the sill to complete the, wall.

the webof the girder.

resistance to oxidation 4connecting said upper plates to the underframe. A

14. In a railway car having side and end walls and an underframe, anupper series ofV wall plateshaying little or no resistance to relatively immune to corrosion connecting tion adapted to be secured to a sheet metal panel;

20. In a railway car, awall and a floor formmg loadv retaining means thereof, the portion of the wall adjacent the floor being of tion of the Wall remote from the ioor being of relatively corrosive material.

21. In. a railway car structure, the combination of a member'forming the lower portion of a wall of said car which is composed of relatively non-corrosive material, and an element forming the upper portion of said wall relatively non-corrosive material and the por? .7o

which is composed of relatively corrosive maj l terial.

Inwitness whereof I have hereto set my hand this 13th dav of October, 1927.

corrosion, anda lower series of Wall plates i said upper wall plates to the underframe,

said lower series of plates being spliced to y' the otherplates.

15. In a railway car, a girder forming a rolled metallic/chord, a bottom rolled metallic chord, a rolled metallic plate 'forming the upper part of the vweb of the girder, and a cast metal member forming the lower part of 16. In a metal wall structure for cars having a top plate and sill, the combination with a sheet metal panel secured atits upper e'dgei vwall ofthe car, said girder comprising a top to the plate and having its lower edge terminating above said sill; of a casting extending' along the bottom edge of the panel andscured thereto'and extended to and secured to 17. Ira metal wall structure for cars hav- J ing a top plate and sill, the combination with -a plurality of vertically extending sheet metal panels secured along their adjacent vertical edges,'said vpanels being securedalong their upper edges to the plate and terminating above the sill at their lower edges; of a plurality of castings extending along the bottom edges of the panels and secured thereto, said castings also being secured to the sill.

18. "In a metal wall structure for cars, the combination with a side plate;of a side sill; vertically .extending sheet metal panels having their upper edges secured to said side plate and terminating above the side sill; and

ling aving upwardly extending web sec'- 1 CHARLES S. JOHNSTON. l 

